Spring 6, Saturday, windy, 6:00 a.m.
Early in the morning, Daeren opened his eyes right on time.
He first looked toward the extinguished fireplace, where the red Dragon Egg rested quietly in the ashes.
"Another day full of energy."
Smiling, Daeren quickly got up and started working.
Watering, petting the chicks, collecting eggs, checking the Mailbox...
"Cluck cluck cluck..."
"Woof woof~~"
After a burst of chicken-and-dog chaos, the farm gradually settled down.
"Four eggs and one Yellow Daffodil..."
"I dug up one piece of coal and one Copper Ore from the rocks, and there was also a furnace recipe in the Mailbox."
Daeren sat outside the door and counted through everything useful one by one.
The furnace recipe came with a guidance quest issued by the System Panel.
[Getting Started with Smelting: If you want to continue mining, you need to build a furnace] --Craft a furnace.
The furnace recipe was one of Stardew Valley's most important early-game recipes.
Crafting a furnace required 20 Copper Ore and 25 stones.
A furnace was indispensable for smelting various ores into usable metal bars.
Some people might wonder whether they could simply buy the metal bars needed for crafting items.
No!
Other than the initial 500 Gold Dragons, nothing could substitute for items governed by the System Panel's rules.
So, if he wanted metal bars to make sprinklers, buckets, and other items, he could only go mining himself.
"Your Highness, I found the mine you mentioned."
Ser Jon returned to the farm happily.
Daeren immediately perked up. "Where?"
"Following the information you provided, I guessed the mine might be near a lake, so I searched all around the hills."
"At last, I found the mine lake and the mine at the source of the waterfall on your farm."
Though Ser Jon was covered in dust from the road, he could not hide his excitement.
Yesterday, his good intentions had caused trouble. Though the prince had not mentioned it, the knight had felt deeply guilty.
Being able to make up for it could not have been better.
"Well done, Ser!"
Daeren did not hold back his praise. He grabbed his gear and prepared to leave.
Before setting off, he did not forget to check the television programs.
[Weather Forecast: Tomorrow will be cloudy and rainy. There may be heavy rain.] [Fortune Teller: The spirits are in a very good mood today. You're going to have good luck.]
In addition, a third program appeared.
[Living Off the Ground: Welcome to Living Off the Ground, bringing a tip to the residents of Stardew Valley.] [Check the wild plants southeast of West Australia Town. Southeast of town is where the river meets the sea. Occasionally, you can find clumps of Wild Scallions sprouting from the soil.]
Daeren's expression brightened. "Wild Scallions? They came at just the right time."
Spring Wild Scallions were a naturally occurring forage item that could restore a small amount of health and stamina when eaten.
In Westeros, Wild Scallions were probably a type of special wild plant containing a small amount of Life Force.
Mining consumed a great deal of stamina, so food supplies were essential.
Life Force was connected to stamina; Life Force was not the same as stamina.
Eating Special Crops could prolong one's life. Top-tier knights often consumed them, giving them a chance to awaken Life Force.
Besides that, Special Crops had many other benefits.
If injured, eat Special Crops.
If tired and exhausted, eat Special Crops.
There were two major risks in mining:
First, running out of stamina.
Second, being injured by monsters.
Special Crops could solve both problems quite well.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Daeren mounted a chestnut mare and rode toward the wild grass gathering spot in the southeast.
Southeast of Dragon Tongue Farm was roughly between the beach and Kingswood.
Kingswood also had a river, and it was not far from the farm.
Noon, 11:30 a.m.
Daeren gathered a whole basketful of ordinary and Silver Star Wild Scallions. He also chopped down several large trees on the outskirts of Kingswood and turned them into a Chest to carry with him.
Before long, he found the mine lake at the source of the farm waterfall that Ser Jon had mentioned.
It was remote, 1.5 kilometers from the farm, so he did not need to worry about being disturbed.
After crossing a narrow bridge made of wooden planks, the mine beside the lake came into view.
When he entered, he found a blue box identical to the beginner gift box inside.
Pfft!
He opened it and found a battered Rusty Sword inside.
[Rusty Sword]: Damage 2-5, Critical Strike Chance 0.02.
"A free piece of junk."
Daeren was speechless. It really was that so-called "beginner's divine weapon."
He picked up the Rusty Sword and compared it with the Steel Longsword he had brought with him.
Clang! Clang!
The two swords collided, throwing off a few sparks.
The Rusty Sword remained battered and unchanged.
Two faint scratches appeared on the blade of the Steel Longsword.
"Weapons provided by the System Panel can't be damaged."
Daeren understood.
The Rusty Sword's sharpness could not hold a candle to the Steel Longsword's, but it could not be damaged. Wasn't that infuriating?
"Others might struggle over which one to use, but I'm a dual-wielding swordsman."
Daeren held the Rusty Sword in his right hand and the Steel Longsword in his left, spinning them through a beautiful double-sword flourish.
After finding the mine elevator, he placed the Chest he had crafted in advance and stored the Axe and hoe he carried.
The Axe was for chopping trees, while the hoe was for digging up Ancient Spots.
Ancient Spots: a type of shadow in Stardew Valley that looked like a clump of worms. Digging them up could yield random artifacts or books.
He checked the gear in his inventory: Rusty Sword, pickaxe, 11 ordinary Wild Scallions, 6 Silver Star Wild Scallions...
The Steel Longsword was not included. He wore it close to his body.
The mine entrance was in the center of the cavern, a wooden round shaft visible the moment one entered.
Daeren watched it for a while and warned himself, Careful, careful, and more careful. The ore isn't important. I absolutely can't get hurt.
Gritting his teeth and closing his eyes, he descended through the entrance into the mine.
Thud!
Daeren landed on the ground. All around him were pitch-black rock walls, with stones scattered irregularly across the uneven ground. Patches of weeds appeared here and there, while the air was thick with a damp, rotten smell.
"Not bad. No little monsters."
The first level of the mine was considered a very safe area. Even if there were monsters, they would not be very strong.
Green Slimes, Stink Bugs, Maggots, Digging Worms, flies, and the like.
He put away the Rusty Sword and fastened the Steel Longsword at his waist.
Daeren gripped the pickaxe with both hands and swung it at the rocks, clang clang clang, searching for the way down to the next level.
Bang!
He shattered an unremarkable rock, which yielded one stone and one piece of coal.
"Where's the Copper Ore?"
Daeren searched around and spotted two rocks of distinctly different colors beside a patch of weeds.
Copper-yellow spots covered their surfaces. They were obviously Copper Ore.
Clang! Clang!
After striking one of them four or five times, it yielded three pieces of Copper Ore.
"My hands are numb from the vibrations."
Daeren frowned slightly, realizing that things were not looking good.
The mine's rocks were as tough as brick. Every swing of his pickaxe required him to channel Life Force into his arms, waist, and legs; otherwise, he would only be scratching the surface.
Ordinary rocks were manageable. They took two strikes of the pickaxe.
Copper Ore took four or five strikes.
Wasn't that going to kill him?
"Forget it. I'll treat it as practice in controlling Life Force."
Daeren wiped away his sweat and lowered his head to continue mining.
On the surface, he was getting used to using Life Force. In truth, he simply had no other choice.
Evening, 8:00 p.m.
Daeren dragged his exhausted body back to the farm with great difficulty.
After half a day of high-intensity labor, his harvest was... not bad.
Inventory: 45 stones, 27 Copper Ore, 11 coal, 4 clumps of slime, 8 pieces of bug meat, 8 fibers, 2 quartz...
Today's achievements: speed-cleared six mine levels and unlocked the elevator straight to the fifth floor.
Killed 4 Green Slimes that only went squish squish and bounced around, crashing into people.
Killed 5 Maggots and 3 Stink Bugs.
Killed 1 Digging Worm that had nearly bitten his toe.
Losses were as follows: Steel Longsword moderately worn down from slashing corrosive slimes, 17 ordinary Wild Scallions, and one heart full of ambition...
"I'm seriously done with this."
Daeren sighed.
Bang!
Using 25 Copper Ore and 30 stones, he crafted a furnace and placed it in front of the Farmland.
Amid the clattering sound of coins, the guidance quest was completed.
[Quest Reward: 100 Gold]
Unfortunately, he had fewer than five Copper Ore left, which did not meet the requirement of five ores for a single smelting batch.
Daeren put away today's harvest and quickly returned to the cabin to sleep.
Before you continue